§ 27. Mr. TouhigTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps her Department is taking to improve the competitiveness of British companies. [5231]
§ Mrs. HealTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps her Department is taking to improve the competitiveness of British companies. [5241]
§ Mrs. BeckettI refer my hon. Friends to the answer I gave in response to my hon. Friends the Members for Dundee, West (Mr. Ross) and for Lincoln (Gillian Merton) earlier today.
§ 29. Mr. FabricantTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps she is taking to promote the competitiveness of small British companies in export markets; and if she will make a statement. [5235]
§ Mrs. BeckettMy noble Friend the Minister for Trade announced on 22 May that the Government would be setting up an Export Forum, with representation from business as well as from Whitehall. The Forum's remit will be to review the effectiveness of current official export promotion programmes and report to Ministers by the autumn with recommendations for a new export initiative.